Queuing and navigation are major discomforts to visitors of environments such as theme parks. The most popular rides or attractions in many theme parks can have queuing times in excess of 30 minutes to an hour during peak season.
The basic idea of virtual queuing is familiar: each visitor can “reserve” themselves a timeslot for a ride, and instead of standing in line for hours they can go off and enjoy the rest of the park. At the appropriate time they return to the ride and gain access quickly via a fast channel.
Amusement parks and similar venues are starting to introduce so-called ‘virtual queuing’ systems for their rides. Virtual queuing allows the queuer to electronically mark his place in a queue and then go off and do something else. Paper-based virtual queuing systems exist, as do more sophisticated electronic systems such as Disney's Fast-Pass system or a system developed by Lo-Q.
In Disney's Fast-pass service major rides have a kiosk at which visitors can swipe their admission ticket. They are allocated a time slot at which to return to the ride. This (typically) one-hour window allows them to join a shorter queue, so that the actual time standing in line is only a matter of minutes. The problems of this service are that only one reservation may be made at a time, Visitors must go to each ride in advance, and the subsequent return time may be many hours later.
In the system provided by Lo-Q, a small wireless device (a so-called Q-Bot) is hired out for a fixed fee to each visiting group. The devices can be used to reserve a virtual place in a queue for a ride. This is done through a network of base stations. Devices are updated with the times at which each ride may be visited and this information is shown on a small screen. To reserve a place on a ride, there is a kiosk by the ride in close proximity to which the Q-Bot must be held. Using information on the size of the queue (fed to the system by ride operators) and details of which rides the group may go on (for example restrictions based on height or age data held by the Q-Bot) the system then allocates a time slot. On returning later, the visitors join a shorter queue, a receiver communicates with the Q-Bot and if they are permitted to go on the ride a green light is flashed for the benefit of the ride operator. Additionally, alarms go off it the Q-Bot is taken from the park. A child finder service is also possible with simple display-less tags. Drawbacks of the Lo-Q system include the requirement for ride operators to input queue lengths into the system and the limitation that only Lo-Q equipped rides can be used in the system.
In an alternative, ticketed system, the Alton Towers theme park in England uses a simple ticketed system of reserving time slots. The system is described as “A free service available to all customers—On the park's two most popular rides you can join a virtual queue on selected days. All you have to do is walk through the turnstiles close to the rides and collect a ticket, on the ticket you will find a time band, if you return to the ride between these times you can ride with only a short queue.”
At least one park owner has discovered that its considerable investment in a virtual queuing system has brought in no extra profits. While people benefit from the reduced time spent in physical queues, they do not spend extra money elsewhere. Since a virtual queuing system represents a considerable investment for the park owner, there is a need for ways to improve the return on it.
In addition, It should be borne in mind that people queuing “physically” might resent being apparently queue-jumped by the virtual queuers. Their ire and, more importantly, consequent dissatisfaction with the park experience might result in less spending or refusal to visit the park again.